Bracket Briefing: 25 most important players in the Final Four

USA TODAY Sports provides your March Madness therapy

Trey Burke ranks second among USA TODAY Sports' Scott Gleeson's most important players in the NCAA tournament. (Photo: Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)

Michigan guard Trey Burke (3) is congratulated by Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) in the second half against the Florida Gators during the South Regional final of the NCAA tournament at Cowboys Stadium. (Photo: Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports)

Story Highlights

• Kevin Ware might be one of the most important players in the Final Four because of his inspiration
• Michigan has committed the fewest turnovers in D-I. How will Syracuse's zone change that?
• Wichita State's Gregg Marshall addressed coaching somewhere else by saying 'we have a good life, man.'

  Welcome to another session of Bracket Briefing, our attempt to provide you with essential information on the Big Dance — highlighting the Florida Gulf Coasts of the college basketball world, and forecasting the Wichita State moments before they happen.

  Soundtrack: Before you read any more, take a listen to this morning's jam of the day. It's dedicated to Wichita State.

  Teams left in the field: 4

  PREVIOUS BRIEFING: Best moments of '13 Dance

  PREVIOUS BRIEFING: Most stunning Final Fours

  At the water cooler: There's no right way to break down the best players who are still playing in the NCAA tournament. Do we go off NBA potential or just statistics? That's boring and no fun. When we pick 50 of the most important, well, then we're opening debatable topic. There's a reason some of the best players are watching the rest of the tournament from home. But best and most important take two different meanings. So without further ado, the Final Four's 25 most important players.

  1. Kevin Ware, Louisville. This is not a joke. Ware's presence on the sidelines at the Final Four will be just as inspiring as his "go win" courageous direction to teammates after he suffered one of the most traumatic sports injuries to date in the Cards' Elite eight win over Duke. Please Read: How Louisville teammate touched Kevin Ware's heart.
  2. Trey Burke, Michigan. Floor general is the engine to Michigan's offense, averaging 18.8 points and 6.8 assists per game.
  3. Russ Smith, Louisville. The do-everything guard has gone on a tournament tear, scoring 23, 27, 31 and 23 points.
  4. Cleanthony Early, Wichita State. Main offensive catalyst for defensive-minded Shockers. Menace on the glass.
  5. Brandon Triche, Syracuse. When one of the Orange's elite scorers (13.7 points per game) goes cold, so do they.
  6. Michael Carter Williams, Syracuse. He orchestrates the offense and was nation's top assists man, stuffed the stat sheet in Orange's last win —12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals.
  7. Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan. His long-range shooting is pivotal for the Wolverines' dynamic backcourt and high-octane offense. Averages 14.6 points per game.
  8. Peyton Siva, Louisville. When the Cards' pass-first point guard goes scoreless or isn't productive offensively, Louisville's offense is subject to fall into lulls.
  9. Malcolm Armstead, Wichita State. The Oregon transfer will draw a tough matchup against Siva, but should be ready for the challenge. His poise under Louisville's pressure will dictate WSU's tempo.
  10. Mitch McGary, Michigan. The 6-10 freshman erupted for 25 points and 14 points in a win against Kansas. His breakout performances aren't always needed, but they can certainly prove to be the difference maker.
  11. C.J. Fair, Syracuse.
  12. Carl Hall, Wichita State.
  13. Ron Baker, Wichita State.
  14. Gorgui Dieng, Louisville.
  15. James Southerland, Syracuse.
  16. Chane Behanan, Louisville.
  17. Nik Stauskas, Michigan.
  18. Glenn Robinson III, Michigan.
  19. Demetric Williams, Wichita State.
  20. Wayne Blackshear, Louisville.
  21. Tekele Cotton, Wichita State.
  22. Rakeem Christmas, Syracuse.
  23. Evan Wessel, Wichita State.
  24. Fred VanVleet, Wichita State.
  25. Luke Hancock, Louisville.

      

      Louisville players won off inspiration against Duke after teammate Kevin Ware was hurt. (Photo: Jamie Rhodes, USA TODAY Sports)

      Final Four matchups: A look at Saturday's clashes.

      • Shockers vs. Cardinals: It's Wichita State's "Play Angry" vs. Louisville's "Play for Kevin." Wichita State, known for its resilient rebounding, has been unflappable defensively, but no team presents a better challenge to those traits than Louisville.
      • Orange vs. Wolverines: This is potentially fascinating for fans of X's and O's. Michigan has committed the fewest turnovers in NCAA Division I. Can guards Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. help the Wolverines become the firs team to solve the zone?

        Must-read piece this morning: USA TODAY Sports intern Jace Evans broke down 10 of the best dunks from this college basketball season. Yes, FGCU's Dunk City made the cut. Watch all the highlight reels here.

        Tweet that speaks volume: Magic Johnson welcomed UCLA coach Steve Alford and USC coach Andy Enfield to town.

        Congrats to Steve Alford the new coach at UCLA and Andy Enfield the at USC. #WelcometoLA— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 3, 2013

        ***

        Outside the Dance: After Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he would consider drafting Baylor's Brittney Griner, the age-old debate took off. Can the girls compete with the boys? USA TODAY Sports' Kelly Whiteside talks to Nancy Liberman, the first woman to ever play in a men's game, in this question-answering piece here.

        Sounding off: "I think that type of treatment would have been horribly inappropriate in the NBA, or on any level. That's not an appropriate setting in the United States military." — ESPN analyst Jay Bilas on fired Rutgers coach Mike Rice's abusive behavior, which included throwing balls at players and directing homophobic slurs at them.

        Quote to note: "I'm already making seven figures. You can eat a lot of steak and hamburger and pizza for what we're making at Wichita State . ... I live on the golf course. We have a beautiful backyard. My wife has four dogs. She gardens. We fly around on private planes to Napa and back to South Carolina. We have a good life, man." — Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall on his future after the Final Four.

        Final Four fact: Louisville, Syracuse and Wichita State all had three-game losing streaks this year. Michigan lost three of four at the start of February and went on to get stunned by Penn State at the end of the month.

        Kickin' it old school: The vintage clip of the day goes to...

        Dwyane Wade's triple-double against Kentucky (2003).